These Red Skies
by The Goliath Beetle
Summary: On one stormy night, Ravess finds Dark Ace standing all alone in the rain. What follows is a few moments of rarely seen humanity.


These Red Skies

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**A/N: I don't **_**actually **_**ship Dark Ace/Ravess. But it's definitely a pairing that I can picture. All I'm saying is that it's possible.**

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It's always gloomy in Cyclonia. I guess it's because of where it's positioned, right where the cold winds from the south and the warm breeze from the north collide. So it's always foggy, always damp. It gives Cyclonia air of drama, as though our terra really needs more of that. Aside from the politics in our ranks or the severity of our national goals, we are a histrionic bunch. I'm living proof of that. I can't concentrate in battle without violins playing a war tune.

It's hard for me to pinpoint who is the most melodramatic of our bunch. I am tempted to choose Master Cyclonis. She is a control freak, after all. She frets over every little thing. But in all honesty, she's exactly like me: a perfectionist. So it's really difficult for me to decide between the two of us. My imbecile brother, Snipe, comes to mind. And yet, he is all bark and no bite, without any actual talent or aura. He has no charisma, no personality. He is simply an over-sized infant throwing a tantrum.

My eyes slide back to my Master's pet. It is raining tonight, but he's standing out in the balcony, soaking in the water. He's letting it consume him as he hangs his head low. I can't see his face. I'm standing behind him, at the threshold of the balcony door. I've been watching Dark Ace for a while now.

He hasn't moved an inch for twenty minutes. He simply stands there, leaning against the railing, getting drenched in the downpour. I notice him shiver twice or thrice, especially when a gust of wind blows. Apart from that, however, he remains still. His head is bowed, dejected.

I'm cold too, but at least I'm dry. Often, the wind sprays me with rain, but that's okay. It doesn't deter me from standing here, watching him. This is dramatic, isn't it? It has its own quiet tension. I suspect I should leave him alone. It is a moment of privacy and weakness. Yet, I can't help being fascinated.

It dawns on me that in all of Terra Cyclonia, he is probably the most histrionic, right from his past to his present. I don't know much, though. I only know what Master Cyclonis told me: that he betrayed the original Storm Hawks. But I don't know why. I tell myself that I don't care, but it's not true. I'm extremely curious.

Another minute passes. Dark Ace still doesn't budge. I wonder if he's frozen solid. But then I see him shiver again, and he makes his first movements. He crosses his arms across his chest and goes back to leaning against the railing. His lithe figure looks small, and ill.

I can't help it any more. I take one step and then two more until I am out in the balcony, getting soaked. I approach him. He doesn't hear the _clack-clack _of my high heels because of the roaring weather. Then I am standing beside him, leaning on the railing, looking straight ahead. I cannot bear to see his face. Instinctively, I know that there is something on his expression that I must not witness.

He speaks. His voice is borderline hoarse. "Ravess." It is a greeting.

"Dark Ace," I greet back, my own voice deadpan.

There is silence again. It makes me agitated, because I do want to speak. I just don't know what to say. Finally, I decide to be direct.

"I've been watching you for some time now, Dark Ace," I tell him.

He nods once. "I know."

Dark Ace really is the best of us. In these rare moments of humility, I do not fear admitting it. How did he know? I was soundless in my observation. Was it a kind of sixth sense? For a moment, panic plunges into the bottom of my stomach. I need to give him a reply, but what do I say?

But he saves me from answering.

"I was just thinking about Cyclonia," he says to me. "About what it will achieve when it takes over Atmos. About how many of our Talons we will lose before this war ends."

"About whether it even matters?" I ask him simply.

He nods. "I feel like I can talk to you."

I can't help but smile just a little. It's faint, barely there.

"Sometimes it feels pointless. Sometimes, I'm tired," I tell him.

"Me too. Like a trap."

I am quiet for a second longer than usual. Finally, I work up the courage to ask. "Dark Ace, why did you join Cyclonia?"

"Because Cyclonia made me feel like a human."

"What had the Storm Hawks made you feel like?"

He smirks a little. It is a cynical, dark expression. "The Storm Hawks had made me feel like a machine," he answers cryptically. His face becomes impassive again, and I know that the conversation is over.

We stand there, both of us in our own thoughts. These red skies of Cyclonia do their worst, beating down the rain like shrapnel of a bomb. Tomorrow, this dialogue between us will be forgotten. We will get on with our battles and our strategies, our victories and our injuries, but neither of us will ever bring this up again. The thought makes feel a little sad.

I want a moment. I want something irreplaceable between us. Something more poignant than a mere conversation. I want to know this man.

So I reach out and hold his hand.

The Dark Ace smiles warmly.

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**A/N: Now that I've written this down, I do think that they look cute together, in a crack pairing sort of way…xD **

**Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review :D **


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